The present invention relates to improvements in transport arrangements for use in fresh produce (fruit and vegetables) sizing machines.
Typically, sizing machines will include one or more conveyor mechanisms including cups or belts of the type which carry the produce on the belt for transport to a position where they are discharged, depending on their size, colour or other variables, to an end discharge point where they are packed into cartons or other similar transport containers. While these arrangements work quite well with clean fruit or vegetables, they do have the disadvantage that any dirt or other material with the produce will tend to fall from the transport conveyor into the mechanism running the conveyor and can cause damage to this mechanism. Further, belt and other conveyors, in some situations, can cause damage to the produce being handled and it is therefore a general requirement that produce should not, as far as possible, be dropped or moved in a non-controlled fashion likely to cause damage.
The term xe2x80x9cproducexe2x80x9d used throughout this specification should be taken as meaning any fruit or vegetable item or any other comparable item.
The objective therefore is to provide a transport arrangement capable of use in produce sizing machines which will avoid or minimise the disadvantages identified above with known transport arrangements in produce sizing machines.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a transport arrangement for a produce sizing or sorting apparatus, said transport arrangement having an endless conveyor carrying a plurality of downwardly depending produce retaining members defining an elongate produce retaining zone below at least one portion of the endless conveyor, at least part of said produce retaining members being movable between a first closed position in which produce is retained within said elongate retaining zone, and a plurality of further open positions enabling produce of predetermined sizes or size ranges to be released from said produce retaining zone, said retaining members including a support region adapted for location generally beneath said produce when said produce retaining members are located in said first closed position.
In accordance with a further aspect, the present invention provides a transport arrangement for a produce sizing or sorting apparatus having an endless conveyor defining at least a first path of movement, said endless conveyor carrying a plurality of transversely spaced and longitudinally spaced downwardly depending produce retaining members, said produce retaining members each having a produce support region at a free end, said produce retaining members defining, in a first closed position of said retaining members, a produce retaining zone extending at least partially longitudinally in the direction of said first path of movement beneath at least part of said endless conveyor, at least some of said produce retaining members being movable whereby at least the produce support regions of said retaining members move transversely away from opposed said produce retaining members to permit selective release of produce from said produce retaining zones, the produce support regions of said produce retaining members being located generally beneath said produce when said produce retaining members are located in said first closed position.
Conveniently the produce retaining members on one side of said produce retaining zone are all selectively movable. Preferably the aforesaid movement occurs at one or more spaced locations along said first path of movement. Conveniently the produce retaining members on both sides of said produce retaining zone are all selectably movable transversely away from the retaining members on the other side of said retaining zone. Preferably movement of said retaining members is selectably adjustable to differing positions at spaced locations along said first path of movement. Preferably at least each said produce retaining member that is movable includes an inwardly directed free end portion that is adapted to engage at least partially under produce held in said produce retaining zone when said retaining members are in said first closed position. Preferably all the produce retaining members include such an inwardly directed free end portion. In a preferred embodiment the first path of movement of said endless conveyor is such that it does not pass vertically above or below itself.
A produce sizing and sorting apparatus as aforesaid has the advantage that dirt, refuse or the like that might be dislodged from the produce being handled, cannot fall into the working parts of the conveyor mechanism causing damage thereto. Moreover the produce is handled in a gentle manner by the retaining members being capable of picking up the produce from an infeed conveyor with minimum jarring movement of the produce itself. Similarly release of produce from the apparatus can be achieved in a similarly gentle manner.
In accordance with a still further aspect the present invention provides a transport arrangement for a produce sizing or sorting apparatus, said transport arrangement having a plurality of carrier members pivotally connected to one another to form an endless conveyor, each said carrier member having at least one finger member pivoted thereto such that the finger members depend downwardly from the carrier members at least along a portion of said endless conveyor to define a produce retaining zone when said finger members are in a first closed position, each said finger member having a produce support region at a free end and to be located under said produce when said finger members are in said first closed position, said produce retaining zone having a substantially uniform cross-section extending in the direction of movement of said endless conveyor along at least said portion of the endless conveyor and said produce retaining zone being bounded at least in part by a plurality of said finger members, at least some of said finger members, in use, being pivotable, about an axis generally parallel to said endless conveyor, to an open position enabling produce to be released from said produce retaining zone.
Conveniently each said finger member includes a pivot means at one end zone and a curved section at an opposed end zone. In one preferred embodiment, each said finger member includes a laterally extending lever arm intermediate the said end zones, said lever arms in use being contactable by control members to move said finger members from the closed position to the open positions and vice versa. In another preferred embodiment, opposed pairs of finger members are interlinked whereby movement of one finger member of the pair about its pivot means will cause an opposed pivoting movement of the other finger member of the pair. In such an embodiment only one finger member of each opposed pair needs to have a lever arm as aforesaid.
In accordance with a still further aspect the present invention provides a transport arrangement for a produce sizing or sorting apparatus, said transport arrangement having an endless conveyor means carrying a plurality of downwardly depending produce retaining members defining an elongate produce retaining zone below at least one portion of the endless conveyor means, at least part of said produce retaining members being movable between a first closed position in which produce is retained within said elongate retaining zone, and a plurality of further open positions enabling produce of predetermined sizes or size ranges to be released from said produce retaining zone at a predetermined transfer station by an actuation means characterised in that the actuation means is located at the transfer station and is adapted to hold the produce retaining members open during the release of the produce at the predetermined transfer stations.
In accordance with a still further aspect the present invention provides a produce retaining apparatus for a produce transporting arrangement, wherein the produce retaining apparatus includes produce retaining members adapted to depend from the transport arrangement next to other produce retaining members such that an elongate produce retaining zone is formed, and at least one produce retaining member is adapted to be positively moved by an actuation means on the transporting arrangement to release the produce from the produce retaining zone.
Preferably the finger members are made from a hard wearing plastics material such as polyurethane so as to provide gentle contact with the produce being handled but be hard wearing in use.